Just returned from a 3-day boat trip on the Linge, a side river of the Waal. We took our tugboat and had it push the barge on which we cook, lounge and sleep.

Very nice outing, very cold as well. First trip ever where I wore every piece of clothing I had with me – it was just above freezing and the wind tried to go right through. Enjoyed ourselves very much, though. The Linge is – for the most part – picture-postcard-perfect. I photographed the not-so-picture-postcard situations mostly, see the images below.

Managed to visit five fortified towns, to wit: Gorinchem, Leerdam, Buren, Woudrichem, Geertruidenberg. This satisfied my crave for constructing alternative lives – what if we’d bought this house in this town…. Also, we had to get our blood running again. And we lusted after good coffee….

Best coffee to be had in Geldermalsen, at the farmers’ collective “Betuwse Fruitshop” on the town square. Best croissants at Sweet Ima in Gorinchem on the Langendijk. Just so you know….

Geertruidenberg is not Linge, by the way, but Donge – starting point for the next boat trip to be started come Sunday. Between then and now there is a. research for PhD b. washing mountains of clothes c. gardening d. rain.